medusa's head

noun

1
: an edible hedgehog mushroom (Hydnum caput-medusae) with interwoven hymenial spines
2
: an African euphorbia (Euphorbia caput-medusae) with numerous drooping slender branches
3
: a weedy rye grass (Elymus caput-medusae) having long bristling awns

Word History

Etymology

after Medusa, one of the three Gorgons, whose hair was said to have been turned into snakes

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Dictionary Entries Near medusa's head

Cite this Entry

“Medusa's head.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medusa%27s%20head. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

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